2010-03-20: To Thine Own Self

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James_icon.jpg

Summary: James talks to himself some more and the thin red line gets a little thinner

Date: March 20, 2010

Log Title To Thine Own Self Be True

Rating: R


Xavier Mansion - Locker Room

Lockers line half of the room for students to store their gym clothes and uniforms in between training sessions. The room is divided in half, one side for girls and the other for boys. Both sides are identical and have individual showers for students to clean.


Saturday afternoon. It was supposed to be a day filled with fun, some mischief, and maybe a little detention earning. But instead James finds himself sitting in the empty locker room, exhausted, his mind slowly recounting the last few hours. Sinister’s would-be Marauders did a number on the school—and students. But it wasn’t so much the fight that wore him out as it was the ferrying of the injured to the Med Bay. James looks his hands over, the corner of his eye twitching as he considers the stain’s source, “God…poor Robyn.” All that blood. And it’s all that blood that James is preparing to wash off. Now, if he could just find the energy to get off…the…bench.

And it’s all that blood that stirs something darker, more dangerous, from its sleep. Giving the student a chill, a familiar voice calls out, “Well….don’t you look a sight.” Suddenly, James is no longer alone; the form of another hyena filling a virtual space in his head and in his eyes. But only his. The other creature stretches, lets out a sound, and walk into view. Leaning against a sink, she asks, “So…what brings me here today?”

James looks up from the bench, arms on his legs, propped to hold his form in a somewhat-upright position. He quickly puts his head in his hands and squeezes his eyes tight, making the sound of someone who knows they’re about to get bullied by someone twice their size, “Go…away.”

“Make me,” the creature quips, “After all, you made me, right? So, therefore, it’s all up to you.” There’s a prideful sneer. As ‘if’. The alpha persona sighs and inspects the back of her hand, eyes on her claws, “But, since I’m here, obviously you can’t ‘make me,’ can you? And why?“ A dark smile fills her face, rows upon rows of teeth exposed, “Because you need me.”

“I don’t” James says with a whine, never looking up, “Why would I need any of this? I don’t want you here!” He tightens the grip on his head to the point that it’s almost painful. To his merit, a crazy person would have pulled out some hair, James stops long before that. It’s a sobering thought, “God…I’m going insane…”

There’s a chuckle and the shake of a head, “No, you’re the sanest person in this room.” Considering the alternative, it’s true. She tsks tsks, “Honestly, you’re doing quite well for someone no one understands. No one, that is…except me.” She preens out a little, keeping a watchful eye on James, “You know as well as I do that no one is here to help. So I am. And no one will give you permission to do what you want to do. So I will.” She stops to look down her muzzle at the boy on the bench, eyes boring holes through him, “That help, that permission. That’s why you need me.”

James throws out his hands, “What do I need permission from you for?! You haven’t done anything but make things worse! “ He shoots her an intense look, a look that’s quickly averted. God…so much scarier than him. So much so he can’t keep his eyes trained on her. So, he looks away, “I…I don’t need any of this. I just want to be normal.”

“Could have been,” she teases rather matter-of-factly, “But ‘you’ screwed that up.” She waves off any disagreement James might have, “This form you find yourself in is of your own doing. You can’t pin the blame on anyone except yourself. However, this school? Helping? Ha!” She laughs, making a singular high-pitched noise, “They can’t.” She nods to the world above the locker room with the snap of her head, “That earlier? That’s help? Far from it.” She sighs, voice turning to one of sympathy, no matter how fake it is, “That’s why I’m here. To ‘help.’” She crosses her arms over her chest and shakes her head, “Disagree all you want. You and me; we’re together in this.”

James drops his arms back into his lap, and looks down at the floor, deflating a little, “But Rashmi and Lucas…they’re helping…they’re here for me. They’re….” He stops and crosses his arms tightly around his belly, “They’re…never going to be able to help me change back.” He falls silent, eyes on the floor, ears sideways.

“Riiiight,” the female says with a seductive slant in her voice, “And your friend Jono said we need to work together. And you trust him, right?” She hops off the sink and walks slowly towards the boy, sashaying just a little, “Now, about today…” There’s a pause. She circles behind the boy and puts her clawed hands on his shoulders, “To wit, a few days prior.” There’s an almost growl, “Robyn.” The name is uttered as if it were a threat, “Remember the chase? You ‘owe’ me something.”

James shutters at the touch, spine tingling as the claws grip his shoulders, “What?” It’s a small voice, a dry voice. As if all the water suddenly vanished from his body. He closes his eyes and turns his head—as if that would help get him that much father way from the voice that’s now behind him.

“You owe me Robyn,” she says, protesting any noise James makes by digging those claws into his skin, “Listen…it’s why I’m here. We tried it their way, now we try it mi…our way.” The smile returns to her face as the figure leans in against the boys back. She slides a hand down his arm and grips his wrist, “So much blood from such a small body. Shame to put it to waste.” Teeth suddenly next to his ear, “Give us that prize you failed to claim. Give us that taste of our trophy.” The voice nearly a growl. There’s a push at his memories, trying to remind him of the day evil-Jono’s ‘fun’ ended with Robyn being tackled and nearly worse.

James coughs, nearly chokes at the idea, the memory, “I don’t want to hurt anyone.” He looks at his blood stained hand. All that…from such a small body. From his friend. “I can’t!” He fights, but those teeth. So close. So real. He knows she’ll put them into him. Tear him, hurt him…

She drapes an arm over his other shoulder, circling it gently across his neck, “You didn’t do this. And I’m not asking you to do more.” The figure splays his paw open so he can see the pads covered in reddish copper, “His boyfriend did this. You..you’re just cleaning yourself up. No harm in a taste.” She smiles, the curl of the lips on her muzzle spreading farther back than possible, “We both know that’s why I’m here. To give you permission. For this.” She quickly switches ears, her jaw against the other side of his head now. There’s an almost nuzzle, a nose pushing the space behind his ear, gently trying to bring his head closer to that hand, “You have my permission, James.” She waits patiently for her prey to give in.

James stares at his hand for a long moment. It’s close enough to smell. Calling him. It’s just a little taste, right? That’s all that’s being asked. To just…put his finger in his mouth. It’s no different than a million times before. Right? And if he does it, she’ll leave him alone. His jaw goes lax, mouth opening. Then hand inches towards his mouth. His tongue inches towards his finger. The beast behind him leers. Then it all collapses as the sound of footsteps, several, walk past the locker room door. Distraction! So, without a second thought, James grabs his stuff and runs from the room. Hopefully leaving tormentor and temptation behind.

There's a sigh as the creature dissipates like a bad dream. It's to be expected She 'is' a bad dream, and vanishes when the other hyena's mind is no longer on her. The parting thought isn't one of aggression…just acceptance. So close. So very close. But she's a patient predator. There will be another opportunity.

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